Colombia's de la Espriella sworn in as president, vows crackdown on drug cartels

Inauguration in Cali

Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia's new president on Thursday, breaking with decades of tradition by holding the ceremony in the southwestern city of Cali rather than in the capital Bogotá. The 48-year-old lawyer and businessman, who had never previously held elected office, had originally wanted to take the oath at a military base in a conflict zone but was prohibited from doing so. The event took place on military grounds, guarded by over 11,000 deployed military and police forces, with an anti-drone system monitoring the airspace and armored vehicles controlling access roads to the university grounds where the ceremony was held.

The choice of Cali was deliberate. The city sits between the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, where multiple armed groups wage a bitter fight for control of the drug trade and illegal mining, using rural populations and child soldiers as human shields. In the days before the ceremony, Colombian authorities reported intercepting a bus carrying approximately 450 kilograms of explosives intended to target military and police facilities. The planned attack was attributed to a dissident group of the former FARC guerrilla.

Security and drug policy

In his inaugural address, de la Espriella declared an end to peace talks and announced a hardline crackdown on organized crime and drug trafficking. His program includes bombing cocaine laboratories, resuming aerial glyphosate spraying of coca fields, and constructing mega-prisons with harsh conditions for inmates. As one of his first acts, he announced Colombia would join the "Shield of the Americas" initiative created by US President Donald Trump, who had supported him during the election campaign.

The time for the restoration of order, authority and freedom has begun.

Members of criminal gangs and narco-terrorist groups have two options: submit to the rule of law or face the decisive action of the Colombian state and its security forces.

Foreign policy pivot

The new president outlined a sharp reversal of his predecessor's foreign policy. Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first left-wing president, had cooled relations with Washington and severed diplomatic ties with Israel over the Gaza war. De la Espriella, who calls himself "El Tigre" (The Tiger), plans to rebuild relations with the United States and cooperate more closely on anti-drug efforts. He also intends to restore diplomatic relations with Israel. Colombia is the world's largest cocaine producer and was long the most important US partner in South America before the relationship deteriorated under Petro.

Economic promises

To regain the confidence of businesses and investors, de la Espriella promised to freeze public spending and simplify the tax system. He pledged to reduce the state apparatus by up to 40 percent and revitalize the oil and gas industry, while preserving certain popular social programs. He told companies his government would be a reliable partner for investors.

The road to power

De la Espriella won the presidential runoff on June 21, narrowly defeating left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda, a senator and ally of Petro. He ran as a political outsider, financing his campaign with wealth accumulated as a lawyer and businessman. As a lawyer, he represented prominent members of right-wing paramilitary groups. He will govern Colombia until 2030, taking over a country where armed groups and criminal organizations have regained influence in numerous regions.

International guests at the ceremony included Spain's King Felipe VI, Argentine President Javier Milei, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, US Attorney General Todd Blanche, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, and José Antonio Kast from Chile.